Author: Kevin Duewel

“Evidence? Explanations? Common sense? No need. They, after all, are paid a salary by the Israeli taxpayer in order to invent new kinds of punishment and torture”: Israel Is Now Punishing Palestinians Shamelessly (Haaretz) Notwithstanding the threat of assassination, a TV pblic service announcement shows the reclusive Nasrallah “emerging from hiding to plant a tree”:…

In a debate in New York, Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan to writer Christopher Hitchens:  “He has more of a problem with religion than with Islam”: We Need Discussions, Not Debates (Huffington Post) “”Everyone has their opinion, ‘Oh no that’s haram [forbidden], you can’t do that. But for me, it’s always about finding that balance and still…

“[F]aced with dwindling buying power, many Iranians are reconsidering their faith in the currency, a shift that could prove to be more significant than the sanctions”: Sanctions Begin to Compound Iran’s Severe Economic Problems (Washington Post) “With the advent of easy-to-use media like YouTube, the truth is coming to light about a culture of humiliation…

A day after warning of terrorism in Europe, a correspondent for Der Spiegel says the drone killing of Germans in Afghanistan is “no big surprise”: ‘Germans Killed’ in US Drone Strike (Al-Jazeera) “I’m happy with the deal that God has given me” — Faisal Shahzad’s final words to the judge: Times Square Bomb Attempt Man…

Dutch politician and Islamophobe Geert Wilders in court to defend his freedom to hate, defends his freedom of expression by refusing to answer a judge’s questions: Dutch Politician Geert Wilders Faces Hate-Speech Trial (Washington Times) “Police confirm telephone threats were made” against Daisy Khan and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf: Police: NYC Mosque’s Imam, Wife Get Death Threats…

As a Gitmo detainee goes to trial in New York the chaos predicted by fear-mongers fails to materialize, but the difficulties of finding an unbiased jury become apparent: Jury in Alleged Embassy Bomber Ahmed Ghailani Trial Includes Pal of 9/11 Victim and Islam ‘Hater’ (NY Daily News) “The smear campaign waged against Muslims over the…

“Many Muslim scholars say that America is the most shari’ah compliant nation in the world, because it has maintained the vision of its founders as a model of justice, even though the practice has not always reflected this vision”: Shari’ah Compliance In America (Musalman Times) As Israel scornfully dismisses a U.N. report that it executed…

In a 7-6 vote, a Texas body that influences the choice of textbooks around the nation “managed to undermine Christian-Muslim relations, hamper religious literacy and impose ignorance on our kids at a time when they need knowledge to live and work in a competitive and integrated world”: Ignorance, Not Islam, Is The Enemy (Musalman Times)…

The ugly underbelly of the military occupation shows itself in the reported premeditated murder of three Afghan civilians for sport: Tapes Describe U.S. Servicemen Killing For Sport In Afghanistan (CNN) “We stand in the proud Jewish tradition of justice, of championing the rights of the downtrodden, of implacable opposition to prejudice and racism,” read a…

A Ph.D. student explains the foreign policy establishment’s handicap in “forecasting religiously inspired events (the Iranian revolution), identifying hostile actors (al-Qaeda and its ilk), and developing constructive partnerships (Ayatollah Sistani in Iraq, among others). We need to understand and respect religion, as it forms the beating heart of the countries we are trying to engage”:…